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How to write an excellent ‘About’ page
Your website and social media profiles usually have an ‘About’ page or section. But here’s the secret. Those pages are not supposed to be about you. Instead, they should be a strategic tool to communicate your value proposition, build trust, and connect with your potential clients.
You may think you should add all the details of your life, where you were educated, and your past employment history. You’re writing about how long you’ve been in business and explaining all the excellent services you provide.
As you consider the list of credentials, take a step back and put yourself in the red high-heel pumps, funky sneakers, or flip-flops of your future clients.
Do your potential clients really care where you went to university? (I went to Drexel.) Or that you used to work for a high-tech giant in the IT department? (I worked for Intel.) Honestly— you don’t care. However, if you are a Drexel grad, your eyes might sparkle, and your ears could perk up. It’s more about connecting and finding a common denominator than where I studied.
Of course, you want to include credentials. We all want to ensure our doctors and lawyers are licensed and certified. By highlighting your expertise, experience, and qualifications in your industry or niche, you build trust and credibility with potential customers.
For most female business owners, the small details of your life are less critical when someone is deciding whether or not to hire you. What matters more is how you can address their needs and provide solutions to their issues.
Your ‘About’ section should focus on your potential clients and how you can help them transform to make their lives and businesses better.
What can you include in your ‘About’ page?
1. Share your story
Everyone loves a good story. Stories are memorable and help create a connection. Write your story in a way that is engaging and authentic.
What’s your WHY for starting your business? You don’t need to share all the details of your business’s origin. However, it’s a good idea to include what inspired you to start your business is a good idea.
I’m Generation X, growing up when women primarily worked in the kitchen or as secretaries. I studied in a field where men were the majority and worked in a male-dominated industry. I was passed over for a promotion because I was married with 2 children and, therefore, less likely to leave my job.
That’s why I’m so passionate about helping women elevate their voices. I’m writing content that will highlight my clients’ superpowers and promote how amazing they are. Shining the light on your skills and sharing how you guide your client through a transformation creates demand for your services.
Paraphrasing Simon Sinek, “Inspire action by starting with why.” Share your origin story to inspire your prospects to hire you.
2. Incorporate your mission and values
In addition to sharing your origin story, you can include your mission, vision, and core values. This helps customers understand what you stand for and if they align with your principles.
Put on your client’s red heels, sneakers, or flip-flops to see if you’ve written sincerely, using words your clients can relate to. You want to make prospects feel understood and catered to, enhancing their connection with your brand.
But remember, don't just list your mission, vision, and core values. Instead, explain how these principles guide your business and how they benefit your clients. Sprinkle the information into an interesting series of concise and clear sentences. You can use formatting to emphasize your values.
For example, I want the copy in my ‘About’ section to show that you’ll have a magical, creative, and friendly experience when you hire me. I’m also strongly committed to integrity and authenticity and love collaboration.
My ‘About’ section might include: There’s nothing better than women committed to supporting each other to thrive. Open and honest collaboration is key to finding the best solutions for your business. You can tell your story in an engaging way when you paint pictures using text. By waving my magic wand, I conjure your authentic voice, enchanting and enticing clients and prospects into craving your products and services.
Review your mission, vision, and core values in your current ‘About’ sections and see if they are written in a relatable way for your audience.
3. Include customer testimonials
We like to choose restaurants and purchase products based on what others have recommended. This ‘social proof’ is an excellent marketing tool that can influence purchasing decisions. Be sure to include positive testimonials or reviews from satisfied customers.
You don’t need a separate page for all the testimonials on your website. Instead, strategically place them throughout your 'About' section and on other pages of your website. This way, when a potential client browses through your site, they can see how you've helped others and if you can solve their problem. Your prospects seek to discover how you have helped others succeed.
Your clients want to know, “Will this work for someone like me in my particular situation?”
In my ‘About’ section on LinkedIn, I include this example. "Annette, these emails are fantastic. I’m so impressed with how you take my ramblings and form them into a very cohesive and very strong email. I got 4 new clients! I love it! Thank you!"
If you were looking for someone to help write your marketing emails, there’s social proof that I have credibility.
By placing testimonials on the ‘About’ page on your website and in the ‘About’ section for social media, future clients don’t have to hunt around to see what past clients have said about working with you.
Add a Call-to-Action (CTA)
Now that your potential clients have read through your 'About' section, you want them to take the next step. End with a clear CTA, whether it's making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting you for more information. Your 'About' section might be a button to take the prospect to the webpage listing your service. A clear CTA guides your potential clients on what to do next, increasing the chances of conversion.
Once again, put yourself in clients’ shoes and think about their journey. What’s the next logical action that you want them to take?
For my CTA in the ‘About’ section on LinkedIn, I show future clients how they can get started. They can schedule a FREE 30-minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/annette-mashi/30minutemeeting, send me an email at annette@writewizards.com, or drop me a WhatsApp message: +972 54 788 6190.
Make it easy for prospects to contact and/or buy from you without clicking around your website or searching through your whole social profile.
Did you pass the “So What” test?
As you write copy for your potential clients, verify if what you wrote passes the “So What” test. This helps determine if you are writing about yourself without considering your clients. The best way to illustrate is with examples.
I graduated with a degree in computer science and a degree in architecture. You’re probably thinking, “So What.” How will that help you solve your problems?
It doesn’t help you, nor does it convince you to hire me.
Instead, I can write: With a degree in architecture, I specialize in writing for architects, interior designers, and construction companies. By speaking the language, I can convey the importance of your designs to your clients.
Or, as a female entrepreneur, I can write: I know how complicated and super busy you can be running your business. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, stressed about finding content ideas, and spending hours creating marketing material, you can free your time to transform your clients' lives or enjoy relaxing and doing something you love.
As you craft your ‘About’ sections (and any other marketing copy you write), see if it passes the “So What” test and if you show your prospects what’s in it for them.
Your ‘About’ page is about your future clients
The ‘About’ section is an opportunity to build trust with your audience and form a connection. You want it to focus on how you can make your clients’ lives and businesses better. Avoid listing all the small details about yourself, and instead, highlight how your experience and qualifications are precisely suitable for helping your prospects.
Craft your ‘About’ section carefully, and ensure it accurately represents your brand's identity and values. Share your origin story to create a connection and inspire your ideal client to want to hire you. Sprinkle in testimonials to show social proof that you can bring the results your prospects are seeking.
It’s time to put yourself in your client’s shoes (those red high-heels, funky sneakers, or beach flip-flops) and write your ‘About’ section messages to be less about you and more about your prospects’ desires.
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Meet the author:
Annette Mashi is a magical copywriter and content strategist who assists female business coaches, consultants, and service providers by writing enchanting content to increase their visibility and attract clients they really want to work with. Escaping from an international corporate high-tech company, she's been casting spells for individuals and companies looking to stand out and tell their unique stories. With her mystical process, she captures your authentic voice, so her writing resonates with your readers as if it were conjured by your own hands.
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